"Act as if what you do makes a difference, it does"
Welcome to Issue 118 of Quest News. We have 13 hours of off-the-job training for our apprentices in care and education to read and learn.
Events this week:
February 5th- February 11th – National Apprenticeship Week 2024
February 1st – February 29th- Boost Your Self Esteem Month
February 5th- February 11th- Sexual Abuse & Sexual Violence Awareness Week 2024
February 5th- February 11th- Children’s Mental Health Week 2024
February 6th- Safer Internet Day 2024
Legislation/Regulation of the week
Child Mental Health
Mental health is as important to a child's safety and wellbeing as their physical health. It can impact on all aspects of their life, including their educational attainment, relationships and physical wellbeing. Mental health can also change over time, to varying degrees of seriousness, and for different reasons. It can be hard for adults to recognise when a child needs support with mental health issues. And it can be difficult for young people to speak out about the challenges they're facing. So it's crucial that anyone who works or volunteers with children is able to recognise the signs that a child may be struggling with their mental health. And that they know how to take appropriate action to support children and young people in getting the help they need.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Please remember to review this in your policy/legislation review workbook)
Videos of the week
Liar: The Fake Grooming Scandal
Twenty-two-year-old Ellie Williams was jailed for lying about being trafficked and raped by a vicious Asian grooming gang. Now, for the first time, the truth is laid open. This hour-long film features never-before-seen police footage of her and hears for the first time from the officers at the heart of the case, the specialist detectives who treated Ellie as a victim of serious crime until they realised they were investigating something very different. It examines why her allegations resonated, and the devastating impact they had in Barrow.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 60 mins)
Event of the week/month
National Apprenticeship Week 2024
On 5th to 11th February 2024, hundreds of employers, apprentices, colleges and more will come together to celebrate the value of apprenticeships at the National Apprenticeship Week 2024. This is the 17th annual event and it promises to be bigger and better than ever! It is a week-long celebration that brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy.
(This can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Safeguarding & ED & I
Podcast: child-focused case recording – what social workers should know
In this episode of Employer Zone Insights we speak to principal social worker Fiona Hayward and child and youth voice worker Cameron Draisey, both from Wiltshire Council. In the podcast they discuss how they met and how this way of writing is having a positive effect on young people and families. They also discuss how social workers at Wiltshire Council are implementing these new ways of writing in their case notes.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Childhood Trauma, War & Conflict
The UK Trauma Council (UKTC), a project of Anna Freud, has produced a short animation to support children and young people affected by trauma after war and conflict. The UKTC has also produced a toolkit for education professionals working in the UK with children and young people who have sought refuge and asylum, often as a result of war and conflict.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Spot, Support, Signpost – How You Can Help Promote Mental Health Awareness in Sport and Activity
If you deliver physical activity sessions, you’re not expected to be a mental health expert. But you have a duty of care to support people in your sessions. Small, everyday actions can often make a big difference. This new initiative from Mind and Buddle offers guidance on how physical activity deliverers can Spot, Support, and Signpost. The aim is to help anyone involved in sport, including coaches, instructors, professionals, volunteers, and senior leaders, to:
Spot the signs someone may be struggling.
Support them, if you feel able to.
Signpost them to help and services.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Helping to identify hidden male victims & survivors of domestic abuse
Male victim / survivors of domestic abuse often face a hidden struggle, as toxic societal stereotypes can often overshadow their experiences. Contrary to stereotypes, abuse can affect anyone regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Recognising the reality of male victims / survivors of domestic abuse is crucial for creating a more inclusive dialogue and challenging the stereotype that men are abusers and not victims.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
NPCC report highlights the shocking scale of child sexual abuse in the UK
The National Police Chiefs' Council has produced a sobering reminder of the realities of child sexual abuse in the UK. According to figures released in January 2024, there were 107,000 recorded child sexual abuse offences in 2022. While this is a shocking figure in its own right, the sad truth is ‘recorded crimes’ only tell part of the story, and the sexual risk to children is likely to be far higher – estimates indicate that as many as 1 in 10 children will be sexually abused before the age of 16. The NPCC Report highlights 52% of reported child sexual abuse offenses are carried out by someone under 18.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Working Together to Safeguard Children December 2023: Podcast
The statutory guidance on multi-agency working is designed to facilitate collaboration among different agencies to support, safeguard, and enhance the well-being of children. It provides a framework for coordinated efforts to address the diverse needs of children, emphasising the importance of working together to ensure their protection and promote their welfare. The KEY emphasis is on:
Getting the right help at the right time - Early Help
Timeliness - report and refer in a timely fashion
Be effective in your targeted assessments
Sharing of information - not allowing GDPR as a barrier to information sharing
Challenge at all levels and learn from serious safeguarding practice reviews
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 50 mins)
Health & Safety
Can Technology Improve how we Monitor Mental Health & Wellbeing
In this blog, Jon Ford, CEO of Life on Time Ltd- the creators of YouHQ - has written a guest blog talking about the role technology can play in the support of mental health and wellbeing.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
How to talk to people about your mental health
Seeking help is often the first step towards getting and staying well, but talking about a mental health problem isn't always easy. It's normal to feel nervous about speaking about your health to a trusted friend or family member - and approaching your doctor or employer for help can seem overwhelming
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Thinking differently about neurodiversity
Increasing numbers of people are being diagnosed with a neurodiverse condition. We explore how OSH professionals can help every worker feel supported and bust the misconceptions around neurodiversity.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
While your back was turned: The mental health of young women and girls - Podcast
On this episode we speak to Dr Amy Pollard of the Mental Health Foundation's policy team. Amy recently wrote a paper about the mental health of young women and girls. The paper found that things are deteriorating and, even worse, that the issue has been slipping down the policy agenda at the same time. We discuss the issue and what can be done to prevent it getting worse.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 60 mins)
Wider Curriculum
New Ofsted Early Years Inspection Handbook
The Early Years Inspection Handbook has been revised by Ofsted following the coroner's report on the passing of headteacher Ruth Perry. Please be assured that your setting is not subject to any new requirements; the majority of modifications are clarifications.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
New Ways of thinking about CPD: Video
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) enables health and safety professionals to maintain their skills and competence, document their learning and qualifications, and to develop their careers in occupational safety and health.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
The Skills Toolkit
As part of National Apprenticeship Week 2024 we want you to learn something new, explore your options and more. Here are Free courses to help you learn new skills or change jobs. Including general skills that apply to all sectors and more specialised skills.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
The anti-racism movement supporting black female staff using social work techniques
How a group of black female social workers are using a reflective model of group supervision to provide each other with the tools to challenge racism in their workplaces
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
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